Buffalo's Brown gearing up for mayoral control?

Clearly frustrated by the continued poor performance of Buffalo schools and the constant drama surrounding the superintendent, Mayor Byron W. Brown is talking about seizing control of his school district or at least gaining more City Hall influence over school matters. Good luck, mayor.

Brown need only look at what happened in Rochester in 2010 to see that the mayoral control option invites lots of dissension and headaches that in the end will not likely result in his school district improving. Brown suggested earlier this week that mayoral control should be explored, joining Gov. Cuomo and others who have expressed frustration with the state of low-performing urban school districts. Said Brown: "I think people are concerned that the model that exists isn't working , and people are looking for options and people are looking for hope." But what's new about that?

He sounds a lot like former Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy back in 2009 when he started talking out loud about changing the City School District's governance structure. As everyone knows, that discussion went no where. Rochester schools are still getting failing grades. But at least Superintendent Bolgen Vargas is focusing on fundamentals such as attendance and reading by third grade. He has a worthwhile strategy going forward.

Pity Buffalo, which may be in for quite a ride. It has a new superintendent , Pamela Brown, who seems to be under constant fire. So much so that the local business community has tried to buy out her contract. There is no evidence that switching superintendents works. Nor is their any compelling evidence that changing governance structures makes a significant difference.

In Yonkers, for instance, the mayor appoints school board members, who then appoint the superintendent. Student achievement there isn't anything to write home about. Meantime, Yonkers contributes 41 percent of the school district's aid.

In New York City, where the mayor has control of the school system, city residents contribute 55 percent of school aid.

How much does the city of Buffalo divy up for its schools? Less than any of the so-called Big 5 cities--- just 7.8 percent. ( (Rochester, by the way, contributes 16 percent of school district aid).

We'll watch closely to see how hard Mayor Brown, who like Duffy at the start of the mayoral control discussion has high popularity numbers, is willing to fight this battle.